Track more data, get better results. The Edge 500 bike computer records useful ride details like speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and lets you access them later, so you can tailor your workouts to help you reach your goals--training has never been so easy. You can also add an ANT+ compatible heart rate chest strap and/or a power meter for even more finely tuned analysis of your ride data. This bike computer attaches easily to your stem or handlebar with a low profile 1/4 turn mount. Just power on the Edge 500 and immediately begin recording ride data. Features a high sensitivity GPS receiver and the new HotFix satellite prediction software to calculate your position faster. Other features include:

Courses- allows same ride comparison over successive rides on the same route

My wife wanted to upgrade from her "runner" that the battery was going out on.This one is way better that the runner. Already had the cadence sensor on her bike and it paired up by itself in a matter of seconds. So far she loves it and that means I'm happy. A little pricey but what Garmin isn't. Nashbar had the best price on this by far.

You may already have a bike computer for speed, cadence, distance and heart rate to see what is happening while you ride. The Edge 500 does all this and also stores the information for you to download to Garmin Connect on your computer where you can see a map of your ride with an analysis of elevation, speed, heart rate, cadence and temperature. With a 20% discount sale on at Nashbar you can buy the Edge 500 for $160. In my opinion there is nothing close to it for the money.

On the down side - you will need to buy a heart strap and speed/cadence monitor separately if you do not already have them. And, Garmin Connect software is pretty basic for training, but there is plenty of other free training software out there - Strava is possibly the most popular.

If you really want know what you can do with the Edge 500 than check out this review: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2009/12/garmin-edge-500-in-depth-review.html

I bought this Garmin Edge 500 back in March 2011 and have recorded over 500 different activities.

I am a crazed cycling enthusiast and a data freak who records every single mile religiously. I track the stats recorded by my Garmin, and use them to improve my riding. Making sure I have a device that records every foot of every ride was my motivation for my investment into the Garmin Edge 500.

This little Garmin has been through a lot of tough environments. It survived a sand storm in the 2012 Tour de Palm Springs, a soaking in a thunderstorm during the MS150 ride from Miami to Key Largo, and it's been covered completely by mud in a 10k Mud Run.

I really thought the device was done for after I found it sitting at the bottom of the wash machine. I put my Garmin out in the sun for a day without opening it. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best, I was prepared to spend another couple hundred bucks because I had already recognized the Edge 500's value. I took it out the next day and borrowed my neighbor's Garmin Edge 800 to compare results and see if it was still working. At the end of the ride, my Edge 500 captured more distance than my buddy's Edge 800! All was good.

About the Features Disclaimer: I have not been able to use all of the features the Edge 500 has to offer. I have my Garmin set up just the way I like it. I have my Pages set up the way I like them. Each Page displays just the stats that I want to see while I'm riding. Garmin Connect and Strava give me more data once I've uploaded my activities, but while I'm out there, I don't need to see everything all at once.

These are the features that I still have yet to use, but are available:1) Creating a Route and sending it to my Garmin2) Planning a Workout and sending it to my Garmin3) Creating Courses and sending them to my Garmin

One of my favorite features, which isn't really a feature at all, is the Battery Life. I've been out on a long Century event (with stops 6+ hours) and the unit still has more than 80% Battery Life. For my normal 1-2hr ride, the Garmin Edge 500 doesn't ever get below 90% battery life. You'll never really have to worry about the battery dying on you while out on an epic ride.

The last thing I'll mention, which is available on all Garmin Edge models, is the AutoPause feature. Again, I'm a Data Freak so I like to see my exact stats on each ride. With the Autopause feature, the second my wheel stops turning, the Edge 500 will autopause my "Moving Time" and let the "Elapsed Time" continue to run. At the end of each ride, you can get "Moving" averages for speed, which is perfect for the person looking to see what their average speed was only when they were moving.

I definitely suggest picking up the Garmin Soft Strap Heart Rate Monitor which has proven it's worth when training for races.

If you're getting more and more serious with your riding, then you cannot live without the Speed and Cadence Monitor.

If you have more than one bike, you can create different Bike Profiles in your Edge 500 which works out great with multiple Speed/Cadence Monitors. Your Garmin will only detect the Speed/Cadence Monitor for the Bike Profile Selected. This is also really important when Riding in groups with other cyclists, the Bike Profile + ANT+ technology used to connect your Garmin with the Speed / Cadence Monitor prevents your Edge 500 from connecting to another cyclist's speed / cadence monitor. You only get your own speed and cadence data.

Pros:+ Can survive the wash machine+ Can take a beating if dropped (3ft – 6ft)+ Provides very accurate GPS Data+ Has amazing Battery Life+ Allow user to create multiple Bike Profiles+ Each Bike Profile Tracks the data only for that bike when selected (total miles, Top speed, etc)+ Allows you to create multiple Pages with only the details you want to look at in that moment+ Allows you to create Routes on your computer then send them to your Device before you ride+ Allows you to create Courses on your computer then send them to your Device before you ride+ Garmin includes multiple bands to use for mounting your Garmin on different bikes+ Garmin includes USB cable to connect to your Computer+ No issues with Edge 500 connecting to other cyclists speed / cadence monitor or heart rate monitor

Cons:- For night riding, it would be nice to have the light stay on for more than a maximum of 60 seconds

Tips:+ Make sure you mount the sensor magnets very well on your wheel and on the crank arm+ Mount your Garmin on the Stem instead of the handle bars+ The closer the magnet is to the sensor, the better data performance you will get from your device

Hands down, the Garmin Edge 500 is the best cycling computer that I've ever had the joy of using. It even serves well with Running if you can find a nice place to store it during your run.

Get out there and record yourself, but be careful, it can get addicting! You have been Warned!!

This is the best cycling computer I have ever owned. It give me all the information I need and more. It's really easy to set up and use. If you have multiple bike it's really easy to transfer from bike to bike. You can also upload all your ride to the garmin website and keep track of them.

This is a great addition to my cycling equipment. It is very easy to operate right out of the box. No calibrating necessary. No magnet on the spokes or sensor on the forks. Just mount it, turn it on and off you go. It was easy to set up. You can customize the data on 3 different pages to show what you want, IE: Speed, Distance, Climbing / Decending grade percentage Ect. I've ridden about 200 miles since getting this for Christmas and I'm just loving it. I highly recomend this, and Nashbars sale price was far less then any others I've seen on other cycling web sites.

I've had a Garmin Edge 500 for two years now, and I love it. This one is a gift for my wife to upgrade her Edge 205. It really captures all you need for cycling. I use it on all my bikes - no calibration issues. The mount is simple and effective (extra ones should be cheaper, however). We also take it skiing -- count your runs, see your speed and altitude changes -- as well as hiking and kayaking. It holds a very large number of rides, so no rush to transfer the data. Once you do transfer the data, the power of this device really comes through -- compare against yourself and others on the same course, keep records of your rides, share with your friends. The display is very customizable. Add-ons like a PowerTap power meter and the cadence/speed sensor integrate without drama. Can you tell I really like this product? Areas for improvement: The temperature sensor often seems to read high. The screen is fine, but a higher contrast / sharper one would be even better.

I purchsaed the 500 because of the reviews and positive feedback that others had published with regards to the value of the Garmin 500. I haven't been disappointed yet. No risk return policy, if I didn't like it, made it an easy choice. It is a fun way to ride with tons of feedback and the unit has functioned wihout a flaw. There are many great tutorials to be found on the web. Nashbar gave me a great price.